The Leadership and Administrative Core (LAC) is responsible for strategic planning, organization, administrative operations and evaluation of the OAIC Research and Training program. A special effort is devoted to ensure the cohesion ofthe Center and maintaining an interdisciplinary and translational research focus on the common research theme, which is sarcopenia and prevention of disability. The key LAC tasks are achieved by the Core Leader and three committees: the Executive Committee, the Independent Review Advisory Panel and the External Advisory Committee. The specific functions ofthe Leadership Core are: - To provide overall scientific leadership and direction for the OAIC research and training program. - To render administrative and budgetary support for the program - To coordinate the functions of the OAIC cores and projects in order to facilitate communication and foster translation behween basic and clinical research and ensure access of investigators to core resources - To assure the coordination of OAIC resources and functions with other research and training grants and institutional resources - To communicate with other OAlCs and the NIA, and to foster collaborations with other OAlCs - To facilitate compliance with guidelines and regulations regarding fiscal policy, human subjects, and animal care and use - To set productivity benchmarks and monitor progress of individual projects and progress of Junior Scholars (this aim is shared with the RCDC), and deal with inadequate progress - To promote quality, productivity and efficiency (timeliness) in all OAIC activities - To arrange the annual meeting of the OAIC External Advisory Committee - To maintain the OAIC web-based tracking and monitoring system to facilitate communication - To promote the use of uniform assessment batteries in OAIC supported clinical research studies to optimize the use of OAIC resources - To maintain the OAIC website and publish the OAIC newsletter Taken together, the LAC provides support for planning, organizational, evaluation, and administrative activities relating to the other Cores and to the OAIC as a whole. The LAC is responsible for monitoring, stimulating, sustaining, evaluating, and reporting progress toward the overall goals ofthe OAIC.